2011, Recipe 59: Eggplant Stuffed with Quinoa

Recipe courtesy of The Gourmand Mom

• 2 baby eggplants
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place quinoa and vegetable stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Keep covered and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Gently fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a knife to cut around the edges being careful not to cut through the skin. Leave about a 1/4 inch remaining around the edges. Use a spoon to scoop out the middle.

Chop the scooped eggplant into small pieces. Drizzle with olive oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, salt, crushed red pepper, and about 2/3 of the goat cheese crumbles. (Reserve the remaining 1/3 of goat cheese crumbles for topping the stuffed eggplants.)

Once the quinoa is cooked, gently toss it with the eggplant mixture. Rub the outside of the eggplant skins with a small amount of olive oil, then place on a baking sheet. Generously stuff each skin with the quinoa mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese crumbles on top of each eggplant during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Results: Yummy!  I used regular eggplants because they were on sale! $.99/lb. Also, did you know Whole Foods has goat cheese for $2.99 for 4 oz.  And it was $6.99 at Harris Teeter!! I was so proud of myself for knowing my prices and getting a great deal!  The eggplant was so large, we each had just half of one.  It was my first time making quinoa and I was extra pleased!  Yummy!  Rashan didn't like it so much, though.  Ah well.